A pilot and a co-pilot of Air India, who were accused of molestation and assault of an airhostess, were arrested and later released on bail, in New Delhi.
Pilot Ranbir Arora and co-pilot Aditya Chopra were called for questioning by Delhi Police and later arrested in connection with the mid-air scuffle on the Sharjah-Delhi flight involving the airhostess and a flight purser.
"As the offence is bailable, they were released after registering their arrest and questioning," a senior police official said.
Airhostess Komal Singh had approached the police on October 3 claiming that she had been assaulted and molested by Arora and Chopra inside the cockpit during the journey to Delhi.
The arrests came 10 days after the registration of a case against them under the Indian Penal Code sections of voluntarily causing hurt, assault or use of criminal force to a woman to outrage her modesty, making gestures to insult the modesty of woman and common intention.
The airhostess had also approached the National Commission for Women seeking "justice".
According to sources in Air India, the crew members involved in the argument understood their "mistake" once the full meaning of the incident dawned on them. They also reportedly understood that the incident could leave a question mark on their future career.
However, this counter complaint would have initiated a very serious charge of hijacking and would have invited the severest of punishments. Realising this, the pilots were requested not to go ahead with their charges. Instead they were asked to cooperate with the police as the charges were comparatively mild.
Posted by Mohan Sehgal | Views 729 | Share Blog
